ESPN's McShay evaluates UCLA draft prospects

UCLA could be quite the player in May’s NFL Draft, with a near-guaranteed top-10 pick in Anthony Barr, a top-flight underclassmen quarterback in Brett Hundley, and at least four other players likely to be selected in the first five rounds.

Whether Hundley or offensive lineman Xavier Su’a-Filo declare or not, Barr will be the headliner. A consensus All-American and one of the most coveted pass rushers in the draft, Barr will probably end up being a top-five pick, according to ESPN draft expert Todd McShay.

“He just continues to get better and better in terms of his play, how he’s using his hands, how he gets off his blocks," McShay said.

In his first mock draft, McShay put Barr as the seventh pick to Tampa Bay, a few picks below South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney, who McShay still believes is better than Barr, despite questions about his work ethic this season. McShay called Clowney "the most gameplanned for defensive player this season".

“He’s not as talented as Clowney. He’s not as big, and he’s probably just a notch below in terms of explosive athleticism."

But McShay is plenty high on Barr, who could end up landing as high as the top three, depending on who fills out those spots.

As for the Bruins’ quarterback, McShay believes, like Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, Hundley needs another year or the “(draft) process would eat them up."

“It’s not a knock on him,” McShay said. “I just think he’s close, but he’s not there yet.”

UCLA’s other three senior draft prospects – defensive end Cassius Marsh, wideout Shaq Evans, and linebacker Jordan Zumwalt – are likely to be third-day picks, putting them somewhere between the fourth and seventh rounds.

Marsh may be the most intriguing of the three, given his versatility, McShay said. He likely projects as a 4-3 end, and McShay sees him as a fourth- or fifth-rounder. But defensive line coach Angus McClure said he’d talked to a few NFL general managers about using Marsh as a smaller 3-4 end, as strictly a rush end, or even as a tight end.

Regardless of what position he’s playing – or what side of the ball he’s on – Marsh seems pretty confident that he’ll be just fine in the NFL.

“I’m confident in my ability as an athlete at being able to do everything,” Marsh said. “I think that’s what makes me special, being a playmaker wherever you put me.”

Evans said before that he hopes to be a second- or third-round pick, and McShay did credit him for having deceptive speed. But his lack of size and quickness -- and his running back-like build -- will likely land him in rounds four or five.

Zumwalt will probably be the last of UCLA's prospects to be drafted, even though he could certainly prove to be a late-round steal. The Bruins' middle backer struggled in his last three games, which impeded his stock a bit, but McShay seemed certain that he'd be drafted in the later rounds. He could test very well in the Combine though and see that stock rise significantly.

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